Ukraine steps up retaliation, ‘confirms’ military incursion on Russian soil

Kyiv, August 11

Days after Ukraine began a surprise military incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region, Zelenskyy broke the government’s silence on it by indirectly acknowledging ongoing military actions to “push the war out into the aggressor’s territory” in his nightly address.

Overnight into Sunday, a Russian drone and missile barrage on Kyiv killed two people including a 4-year-old boy. In Russia, Kursk’s regional governor said that a Ukrainian missile shot down by Russian air defences fell on a residential building, wounding 13 people.

Russia attacked Ukraine with four ballistic missiles and 57 Shahed drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Air defences shot down 53 drones.

The bodies of a 35-year old man and his son were found under rubble after fragments of missiles fell on a residential area in Kyiv’s suburban Brovary district, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service on Sunday. Another three people in the district were also injured in the attack.

Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration said the it was the second time this month Kyiv was targeted.

Popko said ballistic missiles did not reach the capital but that suburbs took the hit, while drones aiming for the capital were shot down.

Zelenskyy, citing preliminary information, said that Russia had used a North Korean missile in the strike. Ukraine and the US have previously said that Russia has used North Korean missiles in the war.

Zelenskyy reiterated calls to Western allies to step up in assistance to Ukraine, and that “to really stop Russian terror, we need not only a full-fledged air shield that will protect all our cities and communities, but also strong decisions from partners — decisions that will remove restrictions on our defensive actions.”

Ukraine’s incursion into Russia continued for a sixth day. The largest such attack since the full-scale invasion and unprecedented for its use of Ukrainian military units on Russian soil.

Ukraine has not commented on the Sunday drone attacks inside Russia. — AP